How Much Caffeine Is in Your Favorite Starbucks Frappuccino?

Illustration by Lauren Kolm

Probably less than you think

Lauren Kolm,Maxine Builder

June 26, 2017

If you're buying a Starbucks Frappuccino to get a caffeine buzz, you might want to rethink your choices. That's because the caffeine content of Starbucks Frappuccinos is, for the most part, fairly low—especially when compared to that of a regular cup of coffee. Most Starbucks Frappuccinos don't contain coffee, and that means most Frappuccinos don't have much caffeine, if any. That's good news for those who are sensitive to caffeine or want a coffee-flavored drink that won't make them bounce off the walls. But if you're actually looking for a drink that'll kickstart your day with a hit of caffeine, you might want to order something else.

So how much caffeine is in your Starbucks Frappuccino? We combed through the nutritional information on the Starbucks website, complied a list of the amount of caffeine in a Grande size of each flavor of Frappuccino, and then compared that to the amount of caffeine in a Grande black coffee.

It turns out that the caffeine content really depends on what type of Frappuccino you're drinking. A White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino, for instance, has six times more caffeine than a Red Velvet Cake Creme Frappuccino—and that makes sense. After all, mocha is a mix of coffee and chocolate.

But the amount of caffeine in any one Frappuccino might be wildly different than what you might assume. A Caramel Frappuccino has more caffeine than a Coffee Frappuccino. (Both drinks still have less caffeine than a regular cup of coffee, though. In fact, no Frappuccinios have more caffeine than a cup of coffee.)

If you want to know how much caffeine is in a Starbucks Frappuccino at a moment's notice, just check out the infographic below. One thing's for certain, though. If you're just looking for caffeine, you might want to skip the blended drinks and go straight for the black coffee.